202 Mt Albert Road, Sandringham, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama- indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Caterpillar Kids Early Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Caterpillar Kids Early Learning Centre is a well-established, privately owned service. The owner is responsible for governance and management. A professional leader provides support and leads a team of five qualified and two unqualified kaiako. Two separate rooms provide for different age groups of children.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They use a range of strategies for reasoning, problem solving and decision making. They enjoy retelling stories and are supported to recognise that print symbols have a meaning and purpose. Children experience a peaceful, calm, unhurried and uninterrupted curriculum. Flexible indoor and outdoor spaces and open-ended resources enable children’s exploration, movement and creativity.
Kaiako working with infants and toddlers provide a high-quality curriculum. Their shared in-depth knowledge and understanding of effective teaching practices for these younger children are features of the service. Kaiako are closely attuned to the verbal and non-verbal cues of infants and toddlers. Their warm, consistent care supports children’s secure attachments with kaiako.
Children have developed a respect for, and understanding of, routines that reflect tikanga Māori and the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Kaiako support tuakana/teina relationships between older and younger children. Their positive acknowledgement of children’s diverse cultural backgrounds encourages families to share their languages and cultures with the service.
Parents who spoke to ERO highlighted the positive partnerships they have with service leaders and kaiako. Parents have opportunities to be involved in their child’s learning. Links between children’s home and everyday experiences at the service contribute to consistent expectations for children.
Leaders and kaiako implement clear procedures and practices that prioritise children’s health and safety. An evidence-based evaluation system results in improvements to centre processes and teaching practices. Curriculum planning for each child has been developed and refined to show individual learning and to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies on improving outcomes for children.
Caterpillar Kids Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Caterpillar Kids Early Learning Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
30 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Caterpillar Kids Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 25395 |
| Location | Sandringham, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 10 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
38 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 1 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
30 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, December 2014 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Bright Stars provides all-day education and care for up to 38 children including a maximum of 10 under two years old. The centre serves a multi-ethnic Sandringham community with diverse cultures and languages.
Since the centre changed ownership in October 2016 major improvements have been made to the indoor areas. There have also been changes in teaching staff and a new head teacher appointed. The staff now includes five registered teachers, two other qualified teachers and a cook.
In 2014 ERO identified a range of concerns that resulted in additional support for the centre and an action plan to guide improvements. The new centre owners have a strong commitment to providing a high standard of education and care and have been proactive in addressing the areas of concern identified by ERO. They have focused on improving teaching practice and ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.
A new centre philosophy is being developed. Some key aspects include the recognition of children as capable and competent learners, respect and manaaki for all things and each other, positive relationships, and the importance of play as a fundamental tool for learning. The philosophy is strongly underpinned by the recognition of Māori as tangata whenua, and the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa. The curriculum is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The centre's belief in children as confident, capable, self-managing learners is evident in practice. Children know the routines and rituals of the centre well. Their developing social competence is evident in their interactions with their friends and with adults.
The centre's welcoming atmosphere encourages parents to linger and supports children to develop a sense of wellbeing and belonging. Relationships between teachers and whānau are strengthening and parents who spoke to ERO feel their contributions to the programme are valued. They appreciate teachers' inclusive practices and their support for children to retain their home languages.
Relationships between teachers and children are responsive and respectful. Teachers allow children to work at their own pace and work well with individuals and small groups. Maths and literacy learning experiences are valued and included in the curriculum in relevant and meaningful ways.
Babies and toddlers are provided for in a separate area. They benefit from opportunities to mix with older children and their needs are well met. Adults are warmly affirming of these children as they independently explore the resources available to them. Teachers need to better align the planning and assessment practices in this area with what happens for the older children.
The curriculum focuses on supporting children to develop the skills and attitudes that allow them to be confident, competent learners. Teachers listen well to children and use their comments and ideas when planning their programme. Teachers are in the early stages of including information shared by parents/whānau when planning programmes for children.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are well integrated in centre routines and teaching practices. There are opportunities for all children to hear and see te reo and tikanga being respectfully used and valued. Further whole team professional learning is planned to support and deepen teachers' bicultural knowledge and practice.
Children's portfolios are good records of their learning. They describe children's interests and growing capabilities in different contexts. Teachers should regularly include children's perspectives about their learning in these records. This would further motivate children and their families to revisit portfolios and provide a record of their developing oral skills.
The learning environment provides many opportunities that support children to become engaged in their play. Some children spend long periods of time focused on their chosen activity, well supported by teachers. Outdoor challenges provide good opportunities for children to develop physically.
A staff appraisal process has recently been established. Centre leaders are aware of the need to align the process with Education Council requirements. Aligning teachers' appraisal goals could help to foster greater cohesion across the team and help teachers to develop shared understandings of their role in supporting and challenging children's learning.
Teachers are beginning to document reflections about their teaching practices in relation to children's learning. Many centre policies and procedures have recently been reviewed and leaders will continue to evaluate their policy framework as part of strategic and annual planning. Internal evaluation has already resulted in many positive changes in the centre. Developing a more robust evaluation process is a focus for 2017.
The centre leaders have identified useful key next steps that include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Bright Stars Childcare Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Bright Stars Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Steffan Brough
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
22 May 2017
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Sandringham, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25395 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
38 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
45 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 23 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
13 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
March 2017 |
||
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Date of this report |
22 May 2017 |
||
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
December 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2011 |
||
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.